Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Why Identity and Access Management Is Weak in Healthcare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 11, 2022

Despite the drumbeat that began about a decade ago for healthcare entities to bolster their identity and access management, it is still an "incredibly weak" area for many, Lee Kim of HIMSS says. She discusses the effects of cyberattack trends and the Ukraine-Russia War on healthcare organizations.

Why Application Security Needs More Attention in Healthcare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 10, 2022

Healthcare entities and other organizations frequently skimp on application security, which is a critical area, and this often results in data breaches, security incidents and other mishaps, says former Blue Cross of Idaho CISO Sandy Dunn, who is now CIO and CISO of security firm BreachQuest.

2 Healthcare Hacking Incidents Affect 310,000 Patients

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 9, 2022

An Alabama clinic and an Indiana-based orthopedic practice have each reported hacking incidents discovered last fall that affected the information of more than 310,000 individuals in total. Both entities list various measures they are taking to bolster security in the wake of those incidents.

Feds Warn of 7 Flaws Affecting Medical Devices, IoT Gear

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 8, 2022

Federal authorities are warning about seven vulnerabilities affecting a software agent used to remotely manage an array of medical devices and other connected gear. If exploited, the vulnerabilities could enable hackers to gain full control of the affected devices or alter their configurations.

Federal Report Offers Healthcare Cyberattack Trend Insights

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 7, 2022

A new federal report spotlighting the spate of recent cyberattacks on the healthcare and other sector provides insights to help organizations better navigate continuing and evolving cybersecurity trends and challenges in 2022 and beyond.

Template Aims to Help Add Cyber in Medical Device Contracts

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 4, 2022

Guidance from the Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council provides healthcare delivery organizations and vendors with recommendations for including cybersecurity in contracts pertaining to the procurement of medical device products and related services.

How the Senate's Cyber Bill Could Affect Health Sector

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 3, 2022

A Senate cybersecurity bill calls for critical infrastructure entities to report major cyber incidents within 72 hours and within 24 hours when a ransomware payment is made. If the bill gets signed into law, what is the potential impact on healthcare sector entities and their vendors?

Mon Health Reports Breach Soon After Phishing Incident

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 2, 2022

Monongalia Health System, a West Virginia-based entity that reported a phishing breach in December, affecting nearly 399,000 individuals, this week reported a separate security incident that appears to have potentially involved ransomware. Are the incidents related?

Feds Warn Health Sector of Russia-Ukraine Conflict Threats

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 1, 2022

Federal authorities are warning healthcare and public health sector entities to be proactive and vigilant to at least three main potential threat groups, as well as various wiper malware, linked with Russia's attack on Ukraine.

HHS OCR Outlines Top HIPAA Enforcement, Rule-Making Plans

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  March 1, 2022

The federal agency enforcing HIPAA is urging covered entities and business associates to sharpen their focus on protecting their organizations against cyberattacks. The agency has also laid out a list of priorities for rule-making, enforcement and other activities in 2022.

Health Data Privacy and Security Regulations: What's Next?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 28, 2022

Gaps in federal regulations concerning the security and privacy of health data falling outside HIPAA's umbrella are getting filled to some extent by various state laws. But that's creating additional challenges, says privacy attorney Kirk Nahra of the law firm WilmerHale.

Healthcare Entity Reports Another Big Hacking Incident

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 25, 2022

A Montana-based healthcare organization is notifying nearly 214,000 individuals of a hacking incident affecting patients, employees and business associates. The breach - described as a "sophisticated criminal attack" - is the second major hacking incident reported by the entity since 2019.

Russia-Ukraine War: Threats Facing the Healthcare Sector

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 24, 2022

As Russia's military invasion and cyberattacks on Ukraine escalate, critical infrastructure entities, including those in the health sector of the U.S. and other countries condemning Russia's actions, must also be on high alert for potentially disruptive cyber assaults, some experts warn.

Impact of 'Weaponization of Data' Attacks on Healthcare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 23, 2022

The "weaponization of data" in cyberattacks - where cybercriminals not only deploy ransomware but threaten to release stolen data on the internet - has quickly become one of the biggest threats facing many healthcare sector entities, says Adam Meyers of CrowdStrike.

Hacks Causing Most Big Health Data Breaches So Far in 2022

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  February 22, 2022

Hacking incidents still dominate the major health data breaches being reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the first months of 2022 by far, with only one other type of breach appearing on the federal tally so far this year. Are organizations missing other breaches?